Efficacy of a Vibratory Stimulus for the Relief of Hiv‐associated Neuropathic Pain

Abstract

Pain related to HIV disease is frequently debilitating. Of the many pain syndromes that occur in persons with HIV, distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSPN) is particularly devastating. Because DSPN often responds, at best, only partially to available pharmacologic interventions, non‐pharmacologic interventions need to be investigated. Vibration has been suggested to be effective for reducing pain in other populations with chronic pain. This randomized, sham‐controlled, double‐masked study tested the short‐term efficacy of a 45‐min vibration treatment for DSPN foot pain in persons infected with HIV. Vibration therapy was delivered using a portable platform foot vibrator that provided stimulation at a frequency of 60 Hz. For all patients, the control box for the vibrator emitted an audible hum and part of the control box lit up during treatment, but only patients randomized to active treatment received vibration. Pain intensity (0–10) was measured immediately prior to and after treatment. Subjects were also questioned regarding pain relief (0–100%) immediately after the treatment. The mean percentage pain relief was 61.0 +/− 33.1% (median 70.0; range 0–100) for all patients, 67.3 +/− 34.0% (median 80.0; range 0–100) for vibration patients, and 55.0 +/− 32.0% (median 60.0; range 0–100) for sham patients. No statistically significant differences were found between the vibration and sham groups with respect to percentage pain relief (Mann‐Whitney test; P = 0.19) or the pre‐ and post‐treatment current‐pain difference (Mann‐Whitney test; P = 0.92). These results underscore the necessity for control groups in studies of non‐pharmacologic therapies for pain.

Effects of Adjunctive Swedish Massage and Vibration Therapy on Short-Term Postoperative Outcomes: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

“…By contrast, placebo-controlled studies have not found vibration to have a significant effect on tender point pain in patients with fibromyalgia (Chersky et al, 1997) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neuropathic pain (Paice et al, 2000).…”

Feasibility of therapeutic Chinese massage (tui na) for peripheral neuropathy among people with human immunodeficiency virus: findings of a pilot randomized controlled trial

“…However, very few studies examined nonpharmacological interventions to treat HIV-related PN. To the best of our knowledge, previous randomized control trial interventions on non-pharmacology interventions to treat HIV-related PN exclusively included hypnosis (14), spinal cord stimulation (15), lower extremity splinting (16), a vibratory stimulus (17), progressive-resisted exercises (18), cognitive behavior therapy (19), and Acupuncture/Moxibustion (20). Of the studies above, only the Acupuncture/Moxibustion study showed marginally significant pain reduction over the placebo.…”